Houston Dynamo FC reached an agreement with veteran midfielder Artur to extend his contract through the 2025 MLS season with an option for 2026 and 2027, the Club announced today.
Artur has been a key figure in the club’s resurgence in 2023. In his first season with the Dynamo, Artur currently leads the team in starts and minutes played in all competitions. Defensively, the midfielder has helped the team earn 13 clean sheets in the regular season, a new single-season record for the club, and four additional clean sheets in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and 2023 Leagues Cup. Offensively, the midfielder has been a key figure in the possession-based approach instilled by new head coach Ben Olsen this season.
“Artur has been one of the big drivers of our club’s resurgence this season. His quality on the field has made our central midfield one of the best in the league and his leadership has helped cultivate a winning mentality in our locker room,” Dynamo general manager, Pat Onstad said. “We made re-signing Artur one of our priorities as we begin preparations for next season and we are thrilled that he, his wife Rachel, and his daughter have chosen to commit to Houston.”
The perennial winner was the first major acquisition by the Houston Dynamo in their transformative offseason last winter. The club added 17 new first team players and 15 new staff members with an emphasis on adding more championship experience to the roster and staff. The acquisition of Artur via a trade with the Columbus Crew on Nov. 22, 2022, epitomized this approach, as the central midfielder added both quality to the central midfield and a winning pedigree, including the 2020 MLS Cup and 2021 Campeones Cup.
“I’m really happy to stay in Houston,” Artur said. “I’m excited for everything that’s coming up for the Club. I’m proud of the trust that the team has put in me, as well as Pat (Onstad) and Asher (Mendelsohn) for trusting what I could bring to the team. It’s been fun to have a successful season with my teammates on the pitch this year, and I’m excited to continue pushing to achieve even more with Houston Dynamo FC.”
Artur is part of a nucleus of players that have led the club’s resurgence in 2023 defined by success across three competitions in 2023. The Houston Dynamo FC defeated Inter Miami on Sept. 27 in Fort Lauderdale to capture the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, earning the club its first trophy since 2018 and a spot in the prestigious CONCACAF Champions Cup in 2024. The club advanced to the Round of 16 in the inaugural League’s Cup, defeating Mexican giants Pachuca and Santos Laguna in the process. Houston also qualified for the Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs and currently occupy a top four seed in the Western Conference, which would provide home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Along with FC Cincinnati, Houston is one of only two clubs in MLS eligible to win two trophies in 2023.
The MLS veteran is in his seventh MLS campaign and has tallied 171 appearances and 154 starts since making his debut with Columbus in 2017. This will be his fourth trip to the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.
The team returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 21 on the road against Portland Timbers FC as they look to secure home field advantage in the opening round of the 2023 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.
